Shahbaz pledges transparent Ashiyana

LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that the purpose of Ashiyana Housing Project is to provide shelter to the low income shelterless people and hundreds of homeless persons have been provided houses in Ashiyana Quaid while work on Ashiyana Iqbal will soon be started. He was presiding over a meeting regarding Ashiyana Housing Schemes on Thursday. He said that 10,000 houses would be constructed for low income homeless people in Ashiyana Iqbal. He said that Ashiyana Housing Project was started in the last tenure and after Lahore, the scope of Ashiyana schemes has been expanded to other big cities. The chief minister said that Ashiyana Housing Schemes will also be set up in other cities of the province so that maximum people could benefit. The Chief Minister announced abolishment of the quota of plots for overseas Pakistanis in Ashiyana Housing Schemes and said that the basic purpose of these schemes is to provide houses to low income segments and a uniform principle should be adopted for all housing schemes. Shahbaz Sharif announced setting up of a high level committee for reviewing allotment and balloting process for plots and houses in Ashiyana Faisalabad and Sahiwal and directed the committee to submit its report as early as possible so that balloting and allotment could again be conducted. The chief minister said transparency, merit and quality which are the hallmark of Punjab government are the basis of Ashiyana Housing Project and the same principle would be followed in future as well. He said that the scope of Ashiyana Housing Project would be expanded to the other cities of Punjab as well during the next four and a half years. Shahbaz Sharif while reviewing the process of allotment and balloting for houses in Ashiyana Schemes of Faisalabad and Sahiwal expressed his dissatisfaction and constituted a committee as well as ordered cancellation of plots for overseas. He said that a uniform method should be adopted for allotment and balloting for houses and plots. Later, replying to media men, the chief minister said that balloting for Ashiyana Housing Scheme which was to be held today is being postponed and a committee will be set up which will reconsider the entire process for removing any shortcomings.